1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus or a process unit detachably mountable in the main assembly of the image forming apparatus, the process unit comprising an image bearing member and process means actable on the image bearing member. The process means may include a part or all of the process components.
The image forming apparatus described herein includes an electronic copying machine, a facsimile, a laser beam printer or other apparatus for forming information on an image bearing member.
2. Description of the Prior Art
An image forming apparatus will now be described in connection with an electrophotographic copying machine, for example.
In the conventional electrophotographic copying machines, a periodical maintenance operation is required, such as replacement of a photosensitive member used as an image bearing member, cleaning of a charging wire, replacement and adjustment of various expendables or the like. In addition, such periodical maintenance operations must be made by an expert serviceman. Therefore, the serviceman has to go to the place where the apparatus is installed for each of the maintenance operation. This is cumbersome.
In order to simplify the maintenance, it has recently been proposed to use a unit including various image forming means such as a photosensitive drum, a development device, a cleaner, a discharger and others, as a unit, as described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,985,436. If such a unit it used, the respective image forming components can be replaced at the same time as the unit together with the photosensitive drum is replaced. In such an arrangement, a user himself can simply replace various process components which requires a periodical maintenance servicing, without the aid of any expert. Additionally, if a plurality of such process units containing different colored toners are used, a certain colored image can be formed by the selecting proper one of these process units. Further, if a process unit is replaced by another process unit containing a development device different from that of the former, development means can be changed to be compatible with the image of an original to be copied.
However, if a unit which has been replaced by the user is to be repaired, an expert must effect replacement, positioning and other operations of various components such as the photosensitive member, the cleaner, the development device and others. Therefore, ponderous operations are still remained.
Maintenance including the replacement and positioning of the photosensitive member, the cleaner, the development device and others was cumbersome also in the prior art copying machines which do not have such a process unit.